1965-Jean-Bédel Bokassa-leader of the Central African Republic army, and his military officers Saint-Sylvestre coup d'état|begins a coup d'état against the government of List of heads of state of the Central African Republic and Central African Empire|President David Dacko.

1967-The Youth International Party-popularly known as the "Yippies", is founded.

1981-A coup d'état-in Ghana removes List of heads of state of Ghana|President Hilla Limann's People's National Party (Ghana)|PNP Limann government|government and replaces it with the Provisional National Defence Council led by Flight lieutenant Jerry Rawlings.

1983-The AT&T Corporation|AT&T-Bell System is broken up by the United States Government.

1983-In Nigeria-a coup d'état led by Major General Muhammadu Buhari ends the Second Nigerian Republic.

1988-Pittsburgh Penguins-Mario Lemieux becomes the only National Hockey League player to score Goal (ice hockey)|goals in five different ways: even strength, shorthanded, power play, penalty shot, and empty net, during an 8–6 win over the New Jersey Devils.

1991-All official Soviet Union-institutions have ceased operations by this date and the Soviet Union is officially dissolved.

1992-Czechoslovakia-is Dissolution of Czechoslovakia|peacefully dissolved in what is dubbed by media as the ''Velvet Divorce'', resulting in the creation of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

1994-This date is skipped altogether in Kiribati-as the Phoenix Islands and Line Islands change time zones from UTC−11:00 to UTC+13:00 and UTC−10:00 to UTC+14:00, respectively.

1994-The First Chechen War-Russian army began a Battle of Grozny (1994–1995)|New Year's storm of Grozny.

1998-The European Exchange Rate Mechanism-freezes the values of the legacy currencies in the Eurozone, and establishes the value of the euro currency.

1999-First President of Russia-Boris Yeltsin, resigns from office, leaving Prime Minister of Russia|Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as the acting President and successor.

1999-The United States Government hands control of the Panama Canal-(as well all the adjacent land to the canal known as the Panama Canal Zone) to Panama. This act complied with the signing of the 1977 Torrijos–Carter Treaties.

1999-Indian Airlines Flight 814-hijacking ended after seven days with the release of 190 survivors at Kandahar Airport, Afghanistan.

2004-The official opening of Taipei 101-the List of tallest buildings and structures in the world|tallest skyscraper at that time in the world, standing at a height of {{convert|509|m|ft}}.

2010-2010 New Year's Eve tornado outbreak|Tornadoes-touch down in Midwestern United States|midwestern and southern United States, including Washington County, Arkansas; Greater St. Louis, Sunset Hills, Missouri, Illinois, and Oklahoma, with a few tornadoes in the early hours. A total 36 tornadoes touched down, resulting in the deaths of 9 people and $113 million in damages.

2011-NASA-succeeds in putting the first of two Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory satellites in orbit around the moon.